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Chevrolet Tahoe Electrical Problems

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Comments

  • burned_twiceburned_twice Member Posts: 5
    Many thanks to steve (HOST), used the url that he provided and found that it also provides access to the Tech Service Bulletins that GM issues and one of the issues they address is "Loss of High Speed GM LAN Communications, Intermittent No Crank, IP Gauge Fluctuation, Intermittent Door Lock Cycling / Chime Operation, Various IP Warning Lamps Illuminated, Trans May Not Shift", which sounds like what many posts on this thread are addressing.. And also has the potential to impact some of the other posts that are in here.. So might be wise for anyone making a trip into a garage to have some of these issues addressed to have this bulletin in hand. Hopefully it will help..
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited October 2012
    TSBs can be a bit tricky and just because there's a TSB out doesn't mean the manufacturer or dealer will use one to resolve a problem (or at least not resolve it for free).

    "These bulletins differ from recalls in that they are not considered safety or emissions issues and they usually apply only when your vehicle is in its warranty period (whereas a recall is "open" until the work has been performed). TSBs frequently (but not always) address a recurring problem and include illustrated instructions for repair, a list of the parts needed, the warranty status and the labor charge."

    How Can a Technical Service Bulletin Help Me?
  • burned_twiceburned_twice Member Posts: 5
    I absolutely agree, (I have a 98 GMC that had a windshield wiper motor problem that was recalled on most other GM vehicles, but the garage pointed out the recall didn't specifically call it out for my VIN).. But I was just thinking that since so many of the posts indicate that the technicians seem to be at a loss for where to search for the problems, having this TSB in hand could be very helpful in possibly getting at least the problems fixed, and most of the things addressed in this TSB were far cheaper to address than the $300-$3000 for new parts and labor costs some had encountered.. One also needs to be careful when attempting to have "recall" work performed, I've seen dealerships (admittedly, somewhat less than reputable) try to tell people that the timeframe for addressing the recall had passed, so they could fix the issue but the cost would have to be at the owner's expense. So by all means, anyone trying to use this info, please do so with the cautions addressed by Steve, but hopefully the info will help..
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Sometimes just showing up with donuts or muffins works wonders too. :shades:
  • bbc3bbc3 Member Posts: 1
    Just reading here today and found your post succinct. So I will do the same. I have a 2004 Z71 (about 101K miles) tAHhoe to which I have really not had any issues to date, OTHER THAN I GET ABOUT 12mpg and from DAY ONE with NO HELP FROM GMAC...

    Anyways, before I get upset again, I was drving down the road yesterday on the interstate. I was going about 77mph I think, and all of the sudden the car jerked forward slightly and I soon realized the engine was not running. All sustems appeared on, but I dont recall it the radio stayed on cause I was talking on the phone and had the volume down. But then the MSG indicator came up saying something about "Service Brakes" or "Check Break system". All still rolling along at 75 MPH with no power. And the Radio went from the Pearl Jam Channel on XM to the ELvis Channel... So I pulled the hazards and started to creep off the road, but quickly realized I could start in neutral so moved to neutral and cranked it uppulled it back down in drive (still going 55) and just hit he gas and went.
    That was the first problem I have ever had with mine that was significant.
    Yes these cars are having serious issues. My Wife's 2003 has had electrical problems it entire like and I am starting to think it has to do with door switch failures or malfunctions. NOT HAPPY ///
  • denpeydenpey Member Posts: 1
    i have been having electrical problems with my truck since the day i bought it. You name the problem and i got it. Anyway, just recently i had my driver side door lose complete power to it. Now this has happened before but was self fixed after shutting the truck off for a while. I checked the fuse box that is located on the driver side by your left knee and blew the DDM fuse (driver door module). I replaced fused and still didn't work. I then removed the console which houses the buttons for the door locks, windows, side mirror etc. and noticed that there were 5 harnesses going to the buttons. I removed the harness connector labeled J1 (the biggest of the 5 connectors) and saw that it was completely fried and had that burnt plastic smell. Now, has anyone seen this? or know why this happened? I'm assuming it was drawing too much current. New harness??
  • georgejr747georgejr747 Member Posts: 1
    Check the terminating resistor located on the rear cross member next to the spare tire. Should read 120-125 ohms. Little stinker causes lots of problems. Good luck
  • lwynialwynia Member Posts: 1
    I have an 09 Tahoe with same issues, headlights flickering, locks going up and down, transmission shifting up and going from 60mph to 25mph in 5 seconds. Brought to local chevy dealer, they spent 6hrs w/two technicans on it checking all electrical connections. They switched out the negitive battery cable with new one. Running ok for now. You would think chevy would step up to the plate and recall these Lemon Tahoes!
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Glad to hear that the technicians got it working for you, lwynia. Keep us posted!

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • franey99franey99 Member Posts: 1
    First off, I am replacing my second door lock actuator. My Tahoe only has 38000 miles and of course is just out of warranty. Now my truck is sitting dead after only five days out of the dealer for an electrical issue. The wipers ran slow so I replaced the wiper motor. Now the GPS is freaking out, I am getting a service code, the wipers are freaking again and running super slow...and the truck won't start. This CANNOT be a fluke GM. I'm about to contact an attorney.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    franey99,

    We're sorry to hear that you're having these troubles with your Tahoe. If you haven't already contacted an attorney and want for us to check into this further with you, please email us more details at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name and contact information, the last 8 digits of your VIN and mileage, a brief summary of the situation, and the name of your dealership).

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • jimes69jimes69 Member Posts: 1
    we have a 2008 suburban with DVD, navigation, cd player. Our truck will seem fine and then in the morning be completely dead - it won't turn over or do anything. We thought it was after we ran the dvd player or had the radio on for a long time that it would die, but we have taken it to our dealer and they can't find anything wrong. They do believe it is NOT the dvd or radio, but that there is a draw somewhere and the dvd just causes it to drain faster. We NEED this fixed- my wife drives the truck, we have 3 kids with #4 on the way and we can't have her out somewhere and not have the truck start. We have now noticed the voltage gauge drops if we drive for long, but seems to recharge when we turn it off - the opposite of what you would think would happen. Any ideas? We are at our wits end with this thing!
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    jimes69,
    It looks like you're working with your dealership on this already. If you would like for us to follow up on this with them, please email us at socialmedia@gm.com with more details (including your name and contact information, the last 8 digits of your VIN and mileage, and a brief summary fo the situation thus far).

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • coldshadowincoldshadowin Member Posts: 1
    I had same issues.. Found the fix.. Remove the spare tire.. There is a bundle of wires that go into the fuel pump module. wiggle those wires.. I found one of those wires were getting a bad connection.

    I cleaned ALL of those wire connectors and made sure they were getting a tight connection and problem went away.

    I was having same symptoms.. all lights would go on and off loss of engine power door locks going crazy

    Hope it helps.
  • douglask1douglask1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 Tahoe Z71, 5.4 liter engine. The list of electrical issues are as follows:
    1. Cruise control cuts off when I use the turn signal
    2. Cruise control will not work if headlights are on
    3. Rear access door light stays on
    4. Turn signal when I step on brake clicks faster
    5. Turn signal when activated on left, right mirror lights will lightly blink
    6. Turn signal when activated on right, left mirror lights will lightly blink
    7. When brake is applied turn signal indicator opposite signal on dash and mirror will blink dimly
    8. When turn signal is activated with headlights, brake on-back tail lights,both yellow lights blink red turn signal light dimly blinks
    9. When turn signal is activated with headlights off back tail lights-yellow light blinks normal
    Does any one have any idea what may be causing the problem?
  • mephipps1mephipps1 Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem 2009 Tahoe LTZ first my GPS stereo turns of and on automatically, not I notice the headlights are flickering. Does anyone have a solution to the problem before I take it to the dealer cause I am sure they wont be able to reporoduce the problem and will give me the run around. Pleasee help.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    mephipps1,
    I hope you're able to get some good insight from the community here (I am limited in my access to technical information or I would certainly provide more information). If you go into the dealership, please be sure to keep us updated; we're also available to check into this further with them if you wanted to email us at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name and contact information, a summary of the situation, and the last 8 digits of your VIN).

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • ag75ag75 Member Posts: 8
    I wish I had an answer for you. After several thousands of dollars in diagnostic attempts and a new BCM (as well as several other replaced parts) a solution was never found. GM never responded to my requests for help. I found a great mechanic willing to try everything he could think of. He even contacted other mechanics mentioned in this forum to brainstorm. I had ended up leaving the Tahoe with him to drive on a daily basis to try to get first hand experience with the problem. He stopped driving it when it lost power on a highway with his kids in the car. After my vehicle lost power on the interstate again (this was approximately the third time) I felt I had no choice left but to get rid of it. I hope you have better luck than I did.
  • jasonhamptonjasonhampton Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone know where to get an electrical wiring diagram for my truck?

    **** I am trouble shooting why my "Rear Hatch" switch doesn't work.

    I have power to the "Rear Hatch" switch. I removed the actuator from the rear cargo door and jumpered it to the battery. It actuates each time I touch the battery terminals. I am not getting voltage to the actuator when the switch is depressed. (I have two extra switch I bought from a local junk yard - AC Delco doesn't make these any more.) I purchased a Chiltons manual from a local auto parts store. The wiring diagram is very basic.

    The power is supplied from a "DR LOCK FUSE 20A" which is hot at all times. This is located in the - Left Bussed Electrical Center. I looked in the left side fuse panel. There is one 20A fuse which is labeled "CTSY". This fuse has high resitance - 16.5 OHM. The rest of these fuses have average of 0.5 OHM.

    The basic electrical diagram mentions a "Right Bussed Electrical Center". I can not find this fuse panel or fuseable links. I need to verify voltage from the left side panel to this location to help trouble shoot my potential short.

    Best Regards,

    Jason Hampton
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Try bbbind.com.
  • mhamm1mhamm1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I've had several issues with my 2008 Tahoe LS over the past 24 months and am about at wits end. These problems seem to be constantly coming and going with this vehicle.

    My vehicle is currently at the dealership.

    The latest intermittent behaviour is:
    - Put the key into the ignition and go to start the vehicle.
    - Sometimes nothing will power up and you might get one loud click.
    - Sometimes the engine lamp illuminates but nothing else powers up.
    - Turn the key back to the off position and attempt to start again.
    - The vehicle will start on retrying but the clock on the radio would reset.
    This has been going on intermittently since about Dec 9th.
    This last week around Dec 30th the radio finally died and is no longer functioning.
    The dealer says the radio will have to be replaced.

    Prior to this, the car was in the shop 3 times over a 3 week period in 2012 for a similar behaviour where intermittently:
    - Put the key into the ignition and go to to start the vehicle
    - Sometimes nothing will power up and you might get one loud click.
    - The battery would be completely drained.
    - Apply a jump pack to the vehicle and jump start it.
    The vehicle would then start and do so over approximately a week until the battery drained again.

    I turns out the vehicle's AC blower motor was engaging while the vehicle was not started, i.e. no key in the ignition. They replaced the blower motor and relay to the blower motor, however the battery drain and failure to start persisted.

    The dealership believed that it might be a short in the battery cable but could not definitively prove that. They suggested that if it happened again I should manipulate the cable to see if it would then start and if it did bring it back in. It did not happen again for several months until the the most recent behavior began happening. I have not had to manipulate the battery cable to get the vehicle to start on a second attempt.

    There were other issues with door locks and AC vent doors prior to this, all of which seem to be electrical problems. All of this on a vehicle that is about 4 years old with 49,000 miles on it.

    So, with the latest issue, where do I even begin? I'm in the shop for repair, but I have little faith that a real root cause will be found.

    This is my second Tahoe and I am extremely disappointed with the quality of the vehicle.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    mhamm1,

    Keep us posted on what you hear from the dealership. If you would like for us to follow up on anything, please contact us at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name and contact information, the last 8 digits of your VIN, and a summary of the findings at your dealership).

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • impy5impy5 Member Posts: 10
    I have same issues with my speakers, back up sensors and signals. Were you able to resolve this problem?
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    impy5,

    Hopefully llb57 will chime in here soon with more information on how the situation was/wasn't resolved. If you were thinking about working with a dealership towards resolving this, please contact us at socialmedia@gm.com as we're happy to assist in that process.

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • txwesstudenttxwesstudent Member Posts: 1
    2004 Chevy Suburban
    -no codes!!
    -air bag light is on & controls on steering wheel not working
    -As I stated: no codes and the controls on the steering wheel work but are not transmitting past the steering wheel(this was check today at Car Toys)
    -Initially thought that the clock spring was bad but the cruise and horn work fine.
    -I have looked for wiring diagram for under driver's seat because: 2 orange wires are not connected. Could this be the culpret?
    --Any help is appreciated
  • thedadas1313thedadas1313 Member Posts: 1
    did it just lose power out of no where? this morning I was on my way into work on the interstate adn everything was running fine and then the needled started sropping and the motor was dead. would roll over and acts like ti wants to fire but it just stop running. Everything else still had power. I know the 99's have a tendancie to have the same stuff go wrong on deffierent ones and am hoping this is a starting point to diagnose. How did you know it was the module? was there a way of testing it?

    My 99 is sitting in the drive way dead and we are down to one car between my wife and myself adn I work a half hour from home which makes it hard for her to get our daughter from school. Any details you can off would be most appreciated. I am looking for a lead because I am dumbfounded as to how it could just die with no warning signs.

    thanks
  • burned_twiceburned_twice Member Posts: 5
    On my 97 GMK K1500, that actually sounds like what I ran into with my fuel pump going out TWICE!!.. Once was running fine, but when I went out to the truck and tried to start it, it would just crank and crank.. But no fire.. When a second pump was going out, it would intermittently just die and sometimes restart, sometimes even though it would crank fine, a jump start would help to get it started.. Again it was a fuel pump.... So I'm guessing your stuck with the same failure...
  • dudtahoedudtahoe Member Posts: 3
    I have had the same issues with my 2008 Chevy Tahoe. In the past 3 weeks it has been in the repair shop at the dealership I bought it at and after each time they claimed to have fixed the "going dead" problem... the problem still persisted. So... after the 3rd time the dealership refused to do anymore service on my vehicle...... so I took it to another GM dealership and they did a diagnostic and determined that my navigation radio wasn't fully turning off after I turned the vehicle off causing my battery to slowly drain and eventually kill after a couple days. They said I would need to replace the battery. I didn't want to spend the $1300 so they unhooked the radio so my battery wouldn't drain. Well... this was about a week ago... and just today the "Service Battery Charging System" light came on along with the red battery light. I immediately took it to an autoparts store and they tested the battery which came out as being weak. So... the dealership bought the vehicle from couldn't figure out the problem... but still cost me diagnostic fees, inconveniences without a vehicle, etc, and now what I thought was a radio issue.... could be something totally different now. I am to my WITS end with this hunk of junk.
  • dudtahoedudtahoe Member Posts: 3
    I have had the same issues with my 2008 Chevy Tahoe. In the past 3 weeks it has been in the repair shop at the dealership I bought it at and after each time they claimed to have fixed the "going dead" problem by replacing a BCM and a module sensor,... the problem still persisted. So... after the 3rd time the dealership refused to do anymore service on my vehicle...... so I took it to another GM dealership and they did a diagnostic and determined that my navigation radio wasn't fully turning off after I turned the vehicle off causing my battery to slowly drain and eventually kill after a couple days. They said I would need to replace the radio. I didn't want to spend the $1300 so they unhooked the radio so my battery wouldn't drain. Well... this was about a week ago... and just today the "Service Battery Charging System" light came on along with the red battery light. I immediately took it to an autoparts store and they tested the battery which came out as being weak. So... the dealership bought the vehicle from couldn't figure out the problem... but still cost me diagnostic fees, inconveniences without a vehicle, etc, and now what I thought was a radio issue.... could be something totally different now. I am to my WITS end with this hunk of junk.
    I have spoke on the phone with 3 different GM customer relations representatives and they were as much help as the place I purchased my vehicle. How many things, that are the SAME issues, to all these different GM vehicles have to occur before a recall is done and customers get some satisfaction instead of just dishing out money for diagnostics, parts, etc. and nothing is ever fixed. I will never buy another GM product. Worthless!!!!!
  • rokforrokfor Member Posts: 4
    edited April 2013
    Ok, I've read post after post after post of these same electrical problems with no real solution. Did anyone ever truly get theirs fixed?

    Mine is having the same issues while driving, door locks going up and down, gauges moving back and forth, lights flickering, sometimes the tahoe shutters, and this usually happens anywhere from 3-10 seconds. And when this does occur, when I get to my destination and shut off the car, then it always goes completely dead. Then I can hear a intermittent clicking noise coming from the door locks and under the dash, but nothing works at all. I always disconnect/reconnect my battery cables, and it always temporarily solves the problem. This may happen a couple of times a day or it may drive normal for a month or so. I bought the tahoe used in april 2012, and it did this off and on until around oct 2012. Then it ran perfect up for about 6 months, and now yesterday it did it again.

    I don't have a ton of money to throw at it, and I usually do all car repairs myself, but this has got me stumped. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
  • t_text_tex Member Posts: 25
    We had this problem and threw a bunch of money at the problem and it was eventually fixed but we probably got somewhat taken (bunch of parts replaced). I've kept up with the posts that have had similar problems and it seems like it is always related to bad grounding. This could be at the battery, at wherever the main ground is on the engine, or at the megafuse on the passenger side of the firewall. I would definitely make sure all your grounds are clean and tight before I threw any big money at it.
  • jchayesjchayes Member Posts: 4
    The problems I have with my 2007 XLT is just a dead car situation. It appears to happen once a year and right before we leave for spring break. Two weeks ago it happened again. I opened up the hood and removed both battery cables and connected them together for about a minute. I have heard this acts like a system re-boot. Put cables back on the battery and the truck started right up. Guess I am good for another year.

    To the Chevy employees watching. Please do not respond and tell me you are happy I have found a fix or that it is great the car is working again. This is not a fix to a problem that is serious and causes all of us grief.

    Hope this helps others avoid the dealership or local shop.
  • rokforrokfor Member Posts: 4
    So the ground was the issue? How long has it been since you've had any issues with it? I guess i'll try adding a couple more ground wires.

    Another thing I've noticed is that a lot of us are in Texas, so I was thinking it could be something getting too hot, which could be ground/wire related.

    Thanks for the input!
  • burned_twiceburned_twice Member Posts: 5
    So I had started the route of trying to weave through GM's Customer Service tangled web, and one of their reps contacted me regarding the issues I had brought up in a forum regarding some issues I was dealing with.. After trying to to go through a dealer, then with a district specialist and even his supervisor I maintained contact with a rep (Louis) from this forum.. After talking with the supervisor, I tried to get further information from Louis for continued pursuit and wasn't getting any response... Today I tried to email him and he no longer has an account to email to??? Has GM decided Customer Service matters so little to them that they closed that department down and let them all go???? Guess since the government bailed them out, they don't need to worry about customer satisfaction (or safety) anymore...
  • jchayesjchayes Member Posts: 4
    It has been a few weeks since my latest issue then a year before that. I am in northern Nevada where it is cold in the winter so no correlation to heat.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hi burned_twice,

    I'm sorry that you have not received a response. We recently made a few changes and Crystal and Jackie are now monitoring this forum. I would be happy to take a look into this for you. Can you send me an email with your full name, and Vehicle Identification number please so I can look up your case and provide you with an update? Look forward to hearing from you:-). My email address is socialmedia@gm.com "attn Crystal" in the subject line.

    Crystal L - GM Customer Care
  • dalemddalemd Member Posts: 1
    My 2003 Tahoe has recently been experiencing several electrical issues. It sporadically needs to be jump started even after normal use and no lights left on or doors open, and door locks started having a mind of their own. I just replaced the 4-year-old battery but now the door locks are on a rampage! They lock and unlock in different sequences, sometimes randomly while parked, and the radio wont turn on (as though its security setting has been activated). I'm also getting a very rough idle when the A/C turns off and on. I've had two shops check voltages and everything comes up clean between the battery and alternator. Is there some kind of system reset that can fix all this? My hoe is a mess!
  • shelftexshelftex Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased a 2008 Tahoe last week and I am already experiencing electrical issues. I had my husband disconnect the battery cable and replace them, which fixed the problem, temporarily from the sounds of it. Why is it that GM cannot figure out the problem with this??? This is a serious problem with vehicles shutting off while driving, not starting up, locks trapping people inside...these are not minor issues and it is obviously a rampant problem. It took me 5 minutes to find numerous sites complaining of the same issues. What is GM doing about it?
  • jthom4jthom4 Member Posts: 1
    This morning was the THIRD TIME THIS YEAR that I've had electrical issues come up with my 2009 Tahoe. The first two times, the car died completelty. The first time, I was told it was due to getting new tires and the tire people not resetting the sensors correctly. The second time, I was told I needed a new battery.

    This morning AS I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, the dash flickered and the "stabilitrak off" sign lit up. A few minutes later, the same thing happened, along with the seat belt sign flashing on as though I was not wearing my belt when in fact I was. Thankfully I made it to work, popped open the hood - keep in mind that I am 6 months pregnant - checked the battery for any leaks, loose connections, etc. and didn't find a thing. I didn't lock all the doors so that I can get in later just in case the thing dies while I'm in the office. Based on what I've read from others on this forum, disconnecting and reconnecting the battery could be a temporary fix. Guess I'll try that during my lunch break....

    My husband and I bought this car thinking we'd get a safe auto for our growing family, and so far, that decision has been a big mistake. I haven't even delivered yet, and already have had to call AAA twice in the last six months to help me out bc the dealership doesn't know what the H to do.

    I dread to imagine what will happen after my son is finally here in three months and I'm driving with him in the car when the car dies!! Hopefully we won't be trapped inside bc the doors won't unlock!
  • fixmycar13fixmycar13 Member Posts: 4
    I feel for you. I still have my 2003 suburban. I spent 3800 bucks fixing it up. New water pump, new brakes, fuel filter etc... Now, the weird thing is that I believe now my fuel pump was going out sporadically and what I thought was an electrical problem was really my fuel pump going out. My stereo hums with the transmission now and I have to bang the console to get it to shut up. I'm sorry but go and get a Honda Pilot. When I tried trading in my suburban, they were only going to give me 4000 bucks so I kept it. Honda rocks, Chevy sucks unless you have the time and money to keep taking it in to get fixed. Cut your losses and get out of that truck as fast as you can without losing your shirt. I have 4 boys and it served it's purpose but at a dear cost.
  • postalqt37postalqt37 Member Posts: 3
    Hi..last Thursday my truck just turned off while driving it at a high rate of speed..could barely turn it to get off highway since it was in manual mode..Friday we replaced the battery and was told it could be an alternator problem still even though the diagnostics test said it was the battery..didn't drive it at all Saturday and Sunday it had no electricity at all..black screen..tow truck came to jump me and it worked and he said the test he did says it shouldn't be the alternator either..haven't had any issues until now!!! Scared to drive it!!
  • fixmycar13fixmycar13 Member Posts: 4
    It may be the fuel pump. Same thing happened to me. One we replaced by the fuel pump, we never had the problem again.
  • rokforrokfor Member Posts: 4
    edited May 2013
    If your fuel pump goes bad, you will still have power, it just won't crank.
  • burned_twiceburned_twice Member Posts: 5
    edited May 2013
    Actually if the fuel pump goes, it will crank... Crank and crank and crank, but won't start... I've been through 2 fuel pump replacements... But a bad fuel pump wont get you the symptoms of the screen blacking out... That would only be something in the electrical system.. I'd be checking the ground connections. When they're flaky, can cause even the most unfathomable of symptoms..
  • qdurrettqdurrett Member Posts: 2
    My wife and I own a 2011 Tahoe ltz 2wd with the 5.3 with 73,000 miles with no previous owners. For the past few months my wife has stated there is a problem with the vehicle flickering the door locks, displaying msg (blind side alert) then a check engine light comes on for about 1x second, then the problem is corrected, the check engine light goes off and the vehicle is normal again. She drives 56 miles one way to work and is not uncommon for this to happen 2 or 3 times during that drive.

    I obviously concerned for her safety, I drove the vehicle and tried to get the vehicle to do the same for me and it did not. The next day, she took the suv to work and in the middle of an intersection the truck shut down on her, all lights on the dash lit up, the locks flickered, blind side alert msg as well as having a check engine light. While in that intersection she panicked, turned the truck off and started it again to get out of the intersection. She called me and I asked if the check engine light was still on, with her reply, "no." just in case the computer logged it, I had her push the onstar button and had them do a diagnostic on the vehicle not 2 minutes after the occurrence, and for them to tell me nothing was wrong with the tahoe.

    The next day, we noticed our dash was cracked and and was going to have that replaced on some dealer warranty funded programmed and I advised them of the problem. The service person looked at me as if I was stupid, mind you I know my way around under a hood pretty well.

    After having the new dash installed and picking up my tahoe, the service manager stated, "we found a misfire, we cleared it out and "reprogrammed" the computer". So to me, means they didn't find crap, and he told me that to appease me.

    On my way home the tahoe, finally messed up with me in the vehicle. This time at 60mph down the road the truck started to feel rough and shake, the locks flipped on and off, blind side zone alert msg, then the truck hick up, the transmission went bang (like a neutral drop feeling) the check engine light came on, then a half of a second later the truck was running fine. I watched the voltage gauge fluctuate from 10 volts to 18 volts back to 10 then back to 18. Fearing I was going to blow or cook the battery I stopped the vehicle and turned it off. I lifted the hood and saw miner corrosion on the positive lead.

    I started the truck back up and found the truck to running normal but I stopped and the nearest O'riely's Auto parts store and picked up a new battery. I got home and replaced the battery and cleaned tightened all leads.

    Yesterday the Tahoe still is doing the same thing, its been in the shop 2 times now with nothing fixed. Its the same almost every time. No check engine light.

    Symptoms:
    +++++++++

    truck begins to idle rough or shake depending if you are stopped or traveling.
    locks engage then disengage
    blind side alert flashes across the instrument cluster
    if driving (a pop under the carriage) like a neutral drop
    check engine light for 1-2 seconds
    the volt gauge fluctuates from 10 to 18 volts
    then the truck runs fine.

    I have had a Denali, Yukon, and now this Problem Tahoe... not happy!!
  • spritemanspriteman Member Posts: 25
    qdurrett,

    There are a bunch of posts with this same problem in this forum. I've read most of them but probably not all. A lot of the folks have done a great deal of maintenance from changing out the battery like you to replacing the whole engine - that's a lot of dollars.

    The post that interested me was someone who had read somewhere else about a ground being corroded on the back of the engine. They replaced it and the problem cleared.

    I would recommend to you to do a search on this forum and get a feel for the different solutions and non-solutions that people have tried. It's definitely more than just a one-off problem you're having.

    Just one guys opinion.

    SM
  • qdurrettqdurrett Member Posts: 2
    I saw that about the yellow and black wire near the passenger back side of the motor. I have tried to locate that wire but am not able to. just curious if someone might be able to email me a snap shot of exactly where. I have been under and on top looking for it. Not sure if the year difference in the vehicle makes a difference.
  • scottymac22scottymac22 Member Posts: 2
    qdurrett - I'm having exactly the issues you are having (2009 Tahoe Z71) and wanted to note that this is the first time I've read someone having the "if driving (a pop under the carriage) like a neutral drop" issue like I am. When I let my foot off the accelerator at around 35mph, as the vehicle starts to slow, it pops/rattles the drivetrain a few times. I also have an issue when coming to a stop where the rpm's ramp up and try to push the vehicle forward while I'm on the brake. I previously had the no start issue but cut the negative battery cable off and replaced it with an aftermarket and it's never had that problem again. I do still have the previously mentioned problems though along with...
    --Engine noise through speakers (all factory radio/Nav)
    --Radio power/display will cut on and off while driving and stability trac dash light and check engine light will flash on and off and the same time
    --Sometimes the locks will cycle when it goes haywire but that's maybe 20% of the time.
    I am working on replacing all my positive and negative cables with new grounds and connections to see if that repairs it. I'm just amazed at how many people are having these issues and there doesn't seem to be any TSB's or any urgency on GM's part to get a handle on it, especially when this should be considered a safety issue from all the stories I've read.
  • tahoemandowntahoemandown Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem with my 2000 tahoe
    i changed the battery and multiple fuses come to
    find out it was the ground wire i had it replaced and
    wham all set. Try that it only cost me $40 and the truck
    sat for a month. Now i have a new problem it won't start
    but it is trying to turn over not like before where nothing
    worked except the interior lights. I changed the fuses but
    no good i do here the fued pump kick in but it takes a few
    seconds not sure if that's normal or not. Someone else said
    they had simular problems and it was the onstar module that
    kept the truck from starting. So i'm going to look into that.
    Let me know how it goes.
  • postalqt37postalqt37 Member Posts: 3
    I took it to the dealer and he knew exactly what I was talking about..my door locks going off and on while driving for no reason..my vehicle stopping while driving..turns out they replaced the battery cables which cost me $500 and said Chevy will not put out a recall to replace them since there probably aren't enough vehicles affected. I say [non-permissible content removed] since it was a safety issue while I was driving on the highway at a very high rate of speed and it just stopped and I had to physically steer the wheel as hard as I could just to get it off the road and luckily nobody was behind me when it stopped!!!
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